Destinies Entwining
by Hopeful Wings
Summary: XOver w Xmen: Evolution. Post AC. After the battle with SephirothKadaj, Cloud Strife finds himself in a strange new world filled with mutants and animosity. Why was he sent here and what is he supposed to accomplish?
1. Meeting

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Advent Children. You WILL find out the ending, so don't read it if you haven't seen it and/or don't want it ruined for you.

I know this isn't a very long prologue, but I felt that it was a good place to stop. I will post the first chapter very soon, but I want to add a few more pages to it so you will have a nice, long update. Hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children, or X-men. I WISH I owned Cloud. And Sephiroth. And Vincent. And Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moon was strangely bright that night.

So bright that it almost hurt to look at it, even when you were forced to see it only behind ruby quartz shades. Scott Summers took a deep breath of the pleasantly crisp night air and smiled at the redhead walking by his side.

Jean returned his smile with a warm one of her own, her breath leaving a white cloud in the air as she exhaled. The moonlight shone captivatingly in her green eyes, and Scott found himself resisting the urge to find her hand with his own. He was about to do just that when he noticed that she had stopped and was gazing intently around them.

"Scott," she spoke softly, turning to him, "Something's wrong."

Seeing the serious look in her eyes gave Scott pause.

"What do you mean?" He replied.

"The wind's stopped."

And indeed it had. There had been a playful evening breeze toying with the trees just a little bit ago. Not only that, but it seemed like the rest of the world had taken the breeze's cue and halted also. It wasn't like one of those old, corny horror movies. Everything was just…still. Like that split second before a person exhales.

"Let's go back inside." Jean said nervously, tugging at Scott's coat.

"Alright."

They began walking at brisk pace and they were soon out of the trees that surrounded the mansion yard. There was no sound from their shoes as they clipped along the cement path to the front doors of the mansion. Scott chanced a look up and stopped.

"Jean. Look."

Jean followed suit and impatiently gazed at the sky.

There was a strange pattern of stars up above them, glowing steadily and more brilliantly than any of the others. Jean wrinkled her nose and tried to place the odd pattern, but it didn't match any of the constellations she'd ever seen. It was much too intricate for that.

It was a large circle that enclosed three smaller circles in the shape of a triangle. A dizzying pattern of lines and swirls interconnected the four circles. Right before their eyes, the strange, circular pattern began to glow brighter and seemed to suck the surrounding stars into its brilliance.

Scott was dimly aware of the mansion doors opening and he and Jean were joined by the Professor and several of the other students. All eyes were riveted on the stars.

The fours circles began to spin, faster and faster in a peculiar, kaleidoscope dance. Then, from the center of the triangle the three smaller circles formed, a gaping, black maw opened and a blazing stream of light shot forth.

It raced for the ground, faster and faster, finally striking not a hundred feet from the awe-stuck students. The whole place rocked with the force and for a moment, the light was blinding.

The gleaming string of light swirled softly in its column, almost benign. From the stars up above, a sparkling, green mist crept down the bar of light. When the tendrils reached the ground, they circled around to form the same strange pattern in the heavens. Gradually, the green mist enveloped the light, which receded upwards to its origins.

Arms of the strange mist broke off from the main mass and floated searchingly towards them. Instinctively, the students backed away. From the center of the mist, which had begun to thin considerably, a figure was rapidly taking shape.

He, for they could tell from the shape of him that it was a man, appeared to be leaning heavily on some sort of wide bar with a handle sticking out on top. They could hear his breath, which was coming in short, quick gasps. As the mist continued to dissipate, the man's head lifted laboriously and the by-standers found themselves looking straight into a pair of fiercely luminescent, green eyes.

Suddenly, the mist gathered itself together and shot towards the celestial beings from whence it came. The black mouth swallowed it up and the stars winked out. The man collapsed to the ground, as if the mist had been all that was holding him up.

The Professor wheeled cautiously down the steps, trailed by his students, to the strange man.

It was clear now that the object he had gripped so tightly was an enormous sword, easily as tall as a man and perhaps a foot and a half wide. The metal winked ominously at them from the corner of a small, rectangular socket with a cylinder that looked as if it could be unscrewed. A set of colored balls gleamed from their sockets just below the hilt.

The man himself was young, and good-looking. He had blonde hair, very light, that was cut in some peculiar way so as to stick out in a myriad of spikes. The soft features of his face were compressed in a grimace, as if in pain. He was young, perhaps mid-twenties, but he looked like he'd been through a lot.

His clothes were black or navy blue and did little to conceal his lean musculature. Black pants and boots, a navy blue, sleeveless shirt with a high collar, black leather gloves, and a strange half trench coat completed his odd outfit.

His left shoulder was covered in some type of black armor with a wolf's head brooch pinned in the corner. An earring in his left ear matched the brooch. A red ribbon had been tied around his right arm like a mourning ribbon.

The Professor bent and put a hand on his shoulder and the grimace on the young man's features softened and disappeared.

Xavier looked up at his students, who were all watching him and the man.

And the playful night breeze tickled again through the trees.

Reviews are muchly appreciated! ;


	2. Mending

Thank you to those of you who reviewed! It's always a pleasure to read them! In response to a correction, I know Cloud has blue eyes but they glow green with Mako.

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own FFVII: Advent Children or X-men.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Charles Xavier wheeled into the lab slash hospital as the heavy, metal doors slid away before him.

"How is he doing, Dr. McCoy?"

The blue, furry man swiveled around in his chair from where had been studying a computer screen.

"Well, Professor, there seems to be no injury. He has a small cut over his left brow, but it isn't recent. There is a neat slash in the upper right shoulder of his shirt that follows through to the back. My guess is that it was made by some type of sword, but he appears to have no injury.

In addition, there is a hole where a bullet entered and exited, also in his shirt, but again, there is no wound. You may examine him if you wish, but I can assure you that he is in good condition. Well, to put it bluntly, he's in excellent physical condition."

Dr. McCoy nodded his head towards a bed where the young man had been laid out, undressed and covered to his waist with a sheet.

"That's quite alright, doctor. I will leave the medical jobs to you. There is another matter—"

"Ah, yes. I did some blood work, and it comes up negative. No X-gene. However, I encountered something else that has me quite puzzled."

The Professor glided over to the computer screen and listened as Hank elaborated.

"He seems to be human, but I found two strange sets of DNA in his system, neither of which I can account for. For now, I have dubbed them Type A and Type B."

The doctor pointed to the screen as a strand of DNA popped up marked Type A.

"This strand appears to be benign in nature. It fact, it seems rather docile and harmless. I have deduced that it affords him several benefits. It would seem to bestow increased speed, stamina, and strength.

The other strand," Again, a new slide appeared, this one marked Type B. "I'm not so sure about.

It is very agitated and certain thought patterns seem to aggravate it. I believe that it has much the same effects as Type A, but there is a strange twist I can't seem to figure out."

The doctor closed the page and turned to face the Professor, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes as he did so.

"This I do know. He wasn't born with them, and neither of them came from anything on this planet. I don't know what to make of it, and I'm afraid that I really can't assure they aren't dangerous.

Without seeing the young man in action, I can't really say how much of an effect either of these types has had on him, benign or otherwise."

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "I've never seen anything quite like it before."

The Professor sighed heavily as he absorbed this new information. This left him with precious few options, none of them which he particularly liked.

"Well, I really have little choice. Although I believe the mind is a precious sanctuary, from what you've told me, this young man could be a threat. I do not want to endanger the students. I feel it is necessary for us to learn a little more about him."

Dr. McCoy shook his head with understanding as the Professor positioned himself at the head of the bed, closed his eyes, and placed both hands on the young man's head.

Professor Xavier's amazing mind skimmed the top of the young man's memories, hoping to glean more about him.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''

FLASH

_A teenager with shoulder length, silver hair and dressed all in black held out his hand. A smile played at his thin lips and touched the corners of his green, slit eyes. _

"_Join us, Brother. _

FLASH

_A wheel-chair bound figure swathed in white sat placidly in a house of wood. His fingers tapped the arm of the chair as he spoke in a sure, measured voice. _

"_They could create another Sephiroth." _

FLASH

_A pretty young woman with long, black hair stared earnestly with ebony eyes. Her whole manner exuded urgency and pleading. _

"_Are you just going to leave them there? _

FLASH

_The same teenager of before, this time joined by two other silver-haired men, one with a lithe figure and long hair, the other muscular with his hair cut short. A wealth of children stood around them, all with the same vacant look in their slit pupils. _

"_We will have a Reunion!" Triumphed the teenager._

FLASH

_A young woman in pink reached out her hand and pulled as streams of green ran down her arm. She was surrounded by blinding blue light, and just ahead a monstrous dragon roared. _

"_Go!" She affirmed. _

FLASH

_The teenager again, falling, falling, with a dark secret clutched to his breast. His eyes shone with ethereal light as he plunged downwards. A strangely deep laugh rose up from his mouth and rang eerily in the air._

FLASH

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The young man's thought were chaotic, flitting to and fro in his head, barely staying for a second. Professor Xavier fought to hang on.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

FLASH

_The woman in pink, cold and dead, bleeding from a wound in her breast as she was lowered into the water._

FLASH

_The black-haired girl of before polishing the counter of a bar._

FLASH

_A muscular black man with a gun for an arm swinging a little girl around._

FLASH

_A teenaged girl with a huge shuriken grinned in glee as she ran off with a load of multi-colored balls. _

FLASH

_A red dog with a scarred eye waved its fire wrought tail. A tattoo was burned into its shoulder. XIII. _

FLASH

_A black cat in crown and cape, sitting on top of a marshmallow-like creature. _

FLASH

_A man with long black hair and piercing red eyes sat wrapped in a tattered red cloak._

FLASH

_A blond man with a spear steered a massive air-ship through the atmosphere. _

FLASH

_Silence._

_Death. _

_Darkness._

_Flames, all around._

_A deep, evil laugh reverberated through the void. _

_A tall man with long, flowing, molten silver hair and clad entirely in black leather walked into the flames, trailed by his swinging cape and a frighteningly long sword. _

FLASH!

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The Professor lost his grip and was flung out of the young man's mind. Sweat dripped down his visage. The young man's face was again twisted in a grimace, this time from the memories.

Turning to look at Hank, the Professor was silent.

"Well…?" Hank prodded, unnerved by the Professor's weary face. He had never seen Xavier look like this after using his power. It must have taken an immense amount.

"I am left with more questions then I could ever begin to answer."

Then, after a period of silence,

"We will have to wait until he wakes up."

The Professor's worried eyes drifted to the man as the young enigma struggled with his demons in a world of dreams.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Shhh!" A pony-tailed girl whispered furiously at her companion.

"Kitty, I don't think this is a good idea…" He replied, poking his head into the room that hers already occupied.

"Quiet, you. I just want a peek."

With a look down both ends of the hall, Kitty dashed into the med lab, followed by an uneasy Kurt. The doors whooshed shut behind them and Kurt exhaled in relief. Hearing a sharp intake of breath, he whipped his head around and saw his partner-in-crime standing at by a bed. He hurried over to her and followed her eyes to the object of her attention.

It was a young man, presumably the man that had appeared the night before, although Kurt and Kitty hadn't seen him because they'd been inside the mansion at the time.

"He's not wearing… any clothes." Kitty blushed as her eyes drank in the sight of the remarkably good-looking young man covered by a sheet.

"What kinda hair do is that?" Kurt remarked as he examined the blonde spikes.

"I dunno, but it looks soft."

Kurt's head whipped around to stare at Kitty.

"Did I, like, say that out loud?" He breathed, turning crimson.

"Girls." Kurt muttered. "Why would ya want him and when you can have the fuzzy blue elf?"

Kitty laughed at Kurt's lopsided grin and comment.

A soft groan broke through the momentary silence and two heads jerked back to their former object of attention.

The young man grimaced, then slowly rose to a sitting position. A hand moved to his face and massaged his eyes before cracking them open and exposing the world to the steadily glowing, bluish-green orbs.

Kitty squeaked and made a dash for the door, nearly tripped over the Professor as he came wheeling in, followed by Scott. The young man's eyes swept the room and finally settled on the professor.

"Where am I?" He asked in a soft, melancholy voice.

"Glad to see you're finally awake. You are at Xavier's School for Gifted Children in Bayville, Washington."

"Washington…?" The man repeated, sounding confused.

"I am Professor Xavier, the young man beside me is Scott Summers, and the other two are Kitty Pryde and Kurt Wagner. I am the headmaster of this school and they and three of my students." The Professor explained.

"Cloud Strife. Ex-SOLDIER, former member of AVALANCHE, currently delivery man and orphanage worker." The man replied, still sounding quite confused and a little disoriented.

"Well, Mr. Strife, it is a pleasure to meet you. There are some questions I'd like to ask you, and I'm sure you have some of your own." With this, the Professor nodded and the three students reluctantly took their leave.

"Hm…"

"First of all, I would very much like to know how you got here."

Professor Xavier watched Cloud's face as understanding dawned.

"The Planet…" He whispered, barely audible.

His features hardened and an unreadable expression settled itself on the man's features.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

The Professor could see this was going to be difficult. Cloud was obviously not a very talkative person, and he seemed reluctant with information about himself.

"Where are you from, Mr. Strife?" Questioned the Professor, deciding to try a different question.

"I was born in Nibleheim; now I live in Midgar."

The strange names and the man's odd behavior triggered a suspicion in the Professor and he voiced it.

"You aren't from this world, are you?"

"I don't think so. At least, I've never heard of 'Bayville' or 'Washington' before." Cloud was staring at his hands in his lap.

"Do you know how you got here?"

"I have an idea."

"Would you like to elaborate?"

"Not really."

The Professor sighed. This man really was difficult. His face was completely closed and he'd given little useful information.

"Well," Xavier began, "I suppose you want some time to yourself. I've had some clothes set out for you. They're on the counter."

The Professor received a grunt in reply.

"I'll leave you alone then. If you need anything, you may use the phone on the wall. It's connected to the office."

With that, the Professor wheeled out of the room, doors closing behind him.

Instead of taking the elevator right away, he stopped outside the room and listened intently with his mind.

"Now what, Aeris? Why am I here?"

The room was silent for a moment.

Then a woman's name.

"Tifa…"

The Professor was astonished by what he heard next.

Cloud was crying softly.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Aww! Poor Cloud. Some of you will probably rag on me for that, but I think that crying is somewhat of an emotional release, which Cloud obviously needs, so, whatever.

Review Please!


	3. Mako

Hello again! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Reviews keep me motivated. In response to some questions, I will have a danger room session with Cloud, most likely in the next chapter. Materia will also come in to play. I'm hoping to bring in the rest of the FFVII gang later.

Also, upon a second glance, I discovered that Cloud's eyes really _are_ blue. My bad. I'll probably edit the earlier chapters later. For now, enjoy the new chapter!

DISCLAIMER: You know how it goes.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

A shudder ran through Cloud's frame as he sat, staring at the metal walls of the lab. He sighed, shook his head, making his blond spikes dance, and pushed himself off the bed.

"Time to get up now." He muttered.

Grabbing the sheet and wrapping it around his waste before it fell, he stood up, stretched, and shuffled over to the counter the Professor had mentioned. There was a pile of neatly folded clothes, and, also, a towel.

Cloud looked up, and seeing the shower, allowed a smile to flit across his lips. Taking the towel, he set it outside the shower along with the bed sheet.

The stinging, hot water was invigorated and served to clear the young man's head. Stepping out in a cloud of steam, he swiped the towel off the ground and dried off. His trademark spikes bounced right back into place after a run through with the length of white cloth.

Cloud slipped into the clothes, a pair of gray sweatpants and loose t-shirt. He looked disdainfully at the slippers and decided against them. Barefoot suited him just fine.

Approaching the door, he was surprised to find that it opened before him. Poking his head out, he saw a long corridor that stretched in three directions. He stepped into the hallway and the doors closed behind him. Feeling somewhat exposed, he quickly chose a direction, which happened to be straight, and set off at a brisk pace, hands in pockets.

He passed a number of identical, metal doors, all with an 'X' on them. Filing that away in his mind, he kept going until he came upon a set of doors that appeared to be an elevator.

His eyes widened, then narrowed, when the doors slid back for him. He looked down the halls again, then stepped inside.

The elevator dinged as it rose and opened to reveal a very plush hallway. The Professor obviously had a lot of money at his fingertips. Once again provided with several directions, he chose right and continued on his way.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Scott was coming back from breakfast, bagel in his mouth, when he caught sight of the man, Cloud Strife, walking towards him. He seemed at ease, but there was an aura around him like a tightly coiled spring, ready for action at a moment's notice.

Sure that Cloud had noticed him, Scott stopped and waited for the man to acknowledge him. His eyes swept the room and then fastened on Scott.

The gaze was more than slightly unnerving, but what struck the young mutant were the man's eyes. They were _glowing._ It could have been a trick of the light before, but Scott was sure of it now. Those blue eyes produced their own glow.

Feeling uncomfortable under Cloud's scrutiny, he broke the silence.

"Uh… The Professor's office is just down the hall, to your right."

"Hm… Thanks."

Scott hurriedly walked past Cloud, a shiver running up his spine.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Cloud watched the tall brunette tromp down the hallway and turn a corner. There was something strange about him, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

Adding another puzzle that needed to be solved to his mental list, Cloud continued down the hall. He quickly spotted the door Scott had been talking about. He knocked lightly.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Professor Xavier was staring out the large windows of his office, lost in thought, when a soft but firm knock startled him. Strange, he hadn't felt anyone's presence. He reached out his mind to find out who it was.

The moment his mind made contact, he was thrown into a swirling oblivion.

_Green, swirling all around. Bright light, flashing by him. Then blue fireworks, exploding in a burst of silver crystals. A heartbeat, thudding loudly. And pain. Excruciating pain._

The professor withdrew as fast as he could. The contact broke and he found that he was able to breathe again. The pain faded and clarity of mind returned. He knew who was standing outside his door, even if he hadn't seen anything distinguishing in the moment the two minds had met. It was Cloud.

"Come in." He called, only a little shakily.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Cloud sucked in a breath and grabbed his head as a sharp pain exploded inside it. Gritting his teeth, he suffered through the kaleidoscope of green and blue, reminiscent of when he had Geostigma. He could feel a presence, a person in his mind. Someone was invading his head.

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the pain stopped and the 'someone' withdrew. With his Mako-infused cells geared into overdrive, he recovered quickly. About to break his way into the room to discover what had just happened, he was surprised to hear the Professor's voice inviting him in.

With a firm push, the door swung open and Cloud entered, glancing around warily. The door clicked softly shut behind him. The professor sat behind an exquisite oak desk, hands folded in his lap. He made a light gesture towards one of several plush chairs, and Cloud reluctantly took a seat.

The Professor caught the young man's eyes with his own, and in that moment Cloud knew that it was the older man who had been in his head. His eyes narrowed slightly and his muscles tensed.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Strife. I trust you found the students helpful?" The Professor remarked.

"You were in my mind." Cloud whispered.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Professor Xavier watched the blonde man across from him and involuntarily shuddered. Cloud's tone of voice was deadly quiet. Somehow the man had known someone had entered his mind. Not only that, he had been able to deduce that it was indeed Xavier who had attempted it. With a sigh, Xavier decided to lay down his cards.

"Yes, it was me. I am afraid I have not told you the entire truth."

Cloud nodded thoughtfully, almost as if he had been expecting that.

"In our world, there are advanced humans known as mutants. Their DNA has evolved in such a way as to provide them with special 'powers.' Miss Pryde, whom you met earlier, can walk through walls. Mr. Summers shoots a blast of energy from his eyes.

As you may have guessed, this school is a haven for such as them. The world does not take kindly to their power, and many people are hostile towards them. Here, they can gain some type of normalcy with others like them. Of course, you understand that to the rest of the world, this school is merely for 'gifted' children."

"You're asking me to keep quiet about this place." Cloud stated matter-of-factly.

_The young man is quick_. The Professor thought.

"Well, to put it bluntly, yes. There is no telling what would happen if the world knew what this school really is.

There is another matter, also. I, too, am a mutant, a telekinetic to be precise."

"You read minds. _My_ mind."

_I take that back. Frightfully quick._

"Yes, well, you must understand that the manner in which you arrived raised many doubts as to your… 'alignment.' I was not sure who you were or whether or not we could trust you. Above all, I must protect my students.

However, you are a most peculiar case. I could not seem to make heads or tails of anything in your mind. Most chaotic."

Cloud was silent.

"Now that I've told you about us, there are a few things I would like to know about yourself."

"Such as what, exactly, is running around in my bloodstream, correct?"

The Professor was stunned into silence.

"Well, yes." He finally replied.

"I'll have to start at the beginning. My world is run by a government called ShinRa. Two years ago, they were harnessing the Planet's energy from the lifestream, Mako. This was slowly killing the Planet.

I used to work for ShinRa, and through chain of events I ended up working for the opposition, a group called AVALANCHE. We discovered that one of ShinRa's generals, a man named Sephiroth, was really an experiment created using the cells of an 'alien,' for lack of a better term. Her name was Jenova, and she had been seeking world domination.

When Sephiroth discovered his origins, it drove him insane. To make a really long story short, we chased him around for quite awhile and then finally killed him.

Fast forward two years. Three clones of Sephiroth—Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo—were seeking to reunite all of those with Jenova's cells. After beating those three, I blacked out and woke up here."

"Hmm. That still doesn't explain the substances in your bloodstream." The Professor pointed out.

"All of ShinRa's soldiers were injected with Mako. I was no different. That's also why my eyes glow, which I'm sure you've noticed. Substance number one. Substance number two is a bit more complicated. After my first run in with Sephiroth, I was taken by one of ShinRa's scientists, Hojo, and experimented on. In short, I was given Jenova cells."

"But you are human?"

"Well, I was. I'm not a mutant, if that's what you're asking."

"That information was already known to me. I'm afraid I took the liberty of having your blood drawn to check for the X-gene. It was negative."

"X-gene?"

"All mutants have a specific gene that we have labeled 'X.'"

"So, we've exchanged stories. What are you planning on doing with me?" Cloud asked.

"Well, I was planning on inviting you to stay with us until we figure out how to get you back to your own world. However, you must know that it's not _entirely_ safe here. Some of the mutants in this world are looking to take it over, namely a metal-controller named Magneto. We believe that mutants and humans can co-exist, so, naturally, we are at constant odds against Magneto. If you stay with us, I can't guarantee that you won't get thrown into some battles."

"Don't worry about me."

"Then, it's settled. I'll have Scott show you your room. It was a pleasure, Mr. Strife."

"Cloud."

"Of course, Cloud."

Cloud stood up and walked to the door. As he was about to push it opened, he stopped, and without turning around, added one more thing.

"I'm no hero, Professor."

With that, he exited into the hallway and his form disappeared from view.

"On the contrary, Cloud. From what I hear, you are quite the hero."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

I apologize for the shortness. I usually like to do my chapters a little longer, but it was high time I adopted and I didn't want you to think I'd fallen off the face of the Earth. Please review!


	4. Materia

**Uh…yeah. It's been three months. Sorry. I wanted to give you guys a big update, but it took WAY longer than I thought. Good news, though. It IS a big update, for me anyway. And you get lots of action. Woo hoo! So, enjoy. Thanks for the reviews, by the way. I appreciate them VERY much, especially the corrections and suggestions. Next chapter will probably have Cloud in the danger room. Until then!**

When Cloud stepped out of the Professor's study he found the Summers kid waiting for him. Now he knew why the man had seemed a little strange. It was because he was a mutant. Of course, Cloud supposed that the people in this world would think himself a mutant if they didn't know any better.

Scott fidgeted under Cloud's eyes and then hurriedly blurted out some words.

"You want breakfast before you see your room?"

"Alright."

"Um…follow me then."

Cloud nodded and trailed silently behind Scott, his blue eyes flickering over the plush mansion furnishing. They passed another hallway perpendicular to their own and Cloud heard several voices engaged in conversation.

When they had tramped through what he guessed to be half the house, they arrived in a spacious kitchen occupied by two others, a woman and a teenager. The teenager stared quite unabashedly at Cloud while the woman turned around from facing the teen and smiled warmly. She held out a hand and Cloud accepted it, shaking firmly.

"Ororo Munroe. Nice to meet you, Mr. Strife."

"Cloud."

"Cloud." She affirmed. Motioning to the teen, she spoke again.

"This is my nephew, Evan."

"Hey." Evan waved weakly.

"Would you like some breakfast, Cloud? There's some eggs and toast leftover from the morning rush, or cereal, if eggs aren't your thing." Ororo asked kindly.

"Eggs are fine." Cloud replied, taking a seat across from Evan, who was busily eating his cereal.

Scott poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat down next to Evan.

While Ororo busied herself fixing a plate for Cloud, the two young mutants took it upon themselves to find more about their mysterious visitor.

"So, Cloud, where ya' from?" Evan asked.

"Midgar." Cloud answered and accepted a plate from Ororo with a thanks.

Scott and Evan shared a glance as Cloud forked some of the scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Why are you here?" Scott tried.

"Not sure." Cloud replied in between bites, not glancing up from his plate.

"Um, are you a mutant?" Evan asked, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"No." Was the monosyllabic answer.

"Then you're human, right?" Scott continued.

"…"

Scott and Evan looked at each other nervously. This guy was as tight as a clam.

Cloud stood up suddenly and took his plate over to the sink, were he proceeded to wash it carefully.

"Third cupboard to your right." Scott offered, seeing Cloud's intentions.

Cloud stored the plate with its fellows.

"Thank you, Cloud. You must have a woman at home to teach you those manners." Ororo said playfully, reappearing from somewhere with an accusatory glance at Scott and Evan.

Cloud's eyes got a far off look in them and his jaw tightened ever so slightly.

"Uh, want me to show you your room now?" Scott broke in, deciding it was a good time to break the mounting tension.

The blonde returned to the land of the living and nodded.

Scott led him through the lavish entry way and up a double, oak staircase under a crystal chandelier. They quickly reached a hallway with many doors and Scott stopped at one near the far end. He opened the wood door to reveal a spacious door room.

There was a twin bed with blue sheets, a large desk with a lamp and a computer, a closet, and a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. It was a very nice room, and it was immaculate as far as cleanliness went.

"This'll be your room. Most of the second floor is boy's dorms, and the girls' are on the next floor up. You get this room to yourself, but you'll have to share the bathroom with everyone else. That's right across the way.

"Your clothes are already hanging in the closet. Me and some of the guys were going to go out to the mall a little later, so if you wanna come along you can pick up some more clothes and stuff." Scott explained.

Scott watched as Cloud walked about the room, running his long fingers across the smooth wood of the desk. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. His expression was a cross between a frown and a quizzical tilt of the mouth.

"Thank you." He said simply, turning to Scott.

"Um, we're leaving at five, if you'd like to go." Scott offered.

Cloud smiled ever so slightly.

"I'll be there."

When Cloud finally found the garage, he saw Scott, Kurt, and Evan waiting by a red and white-striped convertible. A set of keys dangled casually from Scott's hand, who straightened up when he caught sight of Cloud.

Seeing the casualness of this world's dress, Cloud had left his armor, gloves, and coat behind and just stuck with the shirt and pants. He didn't want to seem too out of place. The guys hopped into the car and Cloud followed suit, taking shot-gun next to Scott.

The car roared quickly to life and they swung out of the driveway and onto the blacktop of the roads. Cloud watched the scenery as they passed, noting that it was a lot like his own world, only brighter and more care-free. These people didn't have the worries that plagued everyone in Midgar and the surrounding areas.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the mall, which was a huge building swarming with all types of people. Scott parked the car and everybody jumped out. They entered the cool interior of the mall and Cloud was led to what was obviously a clothes store. Shopping and fashion seemed to be somewhat of a sport here. Cloud had never seen people care so much about what they wore.

He began wading through the racks of clothes while the other boys did the same a few feet away.

After searching and searching only to find that they had everything but his size, Scott turned with a frustrated sigh to find that Cloud had been surrounded by a pack of female workers and other women. They were all making suggestions and pointing out certain styles. On his part, Cloud looked hopelessly overwhelmed. It was actually kind of comical.

Scott grabbed the other man's arm and pulled out of the ring of eager women over to another part of the store. After that, things went pretty smoothly and Cloud was able to get some jeans and casual shirts. He seemed not to really care what he wore, as long it fit.

After changing into some of his new, less noticeable clothes, namely a pair of jeans, a dark green shirt, and a black jacket, the two men grabbed Kurt and Evan and the four headed to pick up some other necessities.

An hour or two later, the four were passing by the food court, having picked up everything they needed and then some. Cloud's jaw was set in a determined manner, and he looked like all he wanted to do was get out of the mall as fast as he could.

"So, we got everything?" Scott asked.

"Yes." Cloud answered, a little too quickly.

Kurt laughed and elbowed Cloud playfully, who gave Kurt a death glare.

All of a sudden, Cloud felt Scott stiffen beside him and he looked to see four boys headed their way.

One was grotesquely fat; one had shoulder-length brown hair with clothes that screamed 'tough guy;' the third had stark white hair; and the last seemed to hop when he walked.

Lance, Todd, Freddy, and Pietro were wandering around the mall, their usual routine, when Lance spotted the X-geeks walking by the food court. As far as he could tell from where he stood, it was Summers, the fuzzy one, and that skateboarding kid.

Lance nudged Pietro and the four Brotherhood mutants quickly changed course to intercept the X-geeks. After a few strides Lance noticed someone else walking with them.

He had the strangest blonde hair spiking out in all directions. He was about as tall as Summers, but he looked in his early twenties. As they neared the other four, Lance called out to them.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here! The X-geeks!" Tough guy sneered.

"Yeah, fancy meeting you here!" Albino parroted.

Cloud watched as Scott tensed further and sped up his pace.

"C'mon, guys, let's leave." Scott said through clenched teeth.

"Aw, we just wanted to meet your new friend!" Albino sighed in mock-disappointment.

"Just ignore 'em." Evan muttered under his breath.

"Summers! You did tell your new lackey about the competition, right? Maybe he wants to have a little fun with us." Tough guy chided.

Scott stopped and turned around, fists clenched.

"He's not a mutant, Lance." He said in a strained glance.

Lance looked surprised and his gaze flickered briefly on Cloud. Then he laughed.

"Heck, I was sure he was, with that hair!" Lance called out, chuckling again. He turned to his friends and motioned for them to follow.

"C'mon, let's split. These geeks ain't any fun."

Cloud watched impassively as they brushed past him. He surmised from the exchange that they were part of the 'rival' mutant group the Professor had been talking about. When they were out of earshot, he turned to Scott.

"Friends of yours?"

"Yeah. They're part of the Brotherhood." Scott muttered back.

"Let's get back to the mansion." Kurt suggested, and everyone agreed.

Cloud returned to his room and put away his new things. Even with the new stuff, it still seemed pathetically empty. His old room at the Seventh Heaven flashed before his eyes and he sighed, wondering if he'd ever get back there. Poor Tifa, she'd have to run the orphanage all by herself.

A smile rose on his lips as he thought of her. She was the most fiercely independent woman he'd ever known, not that he'd known many. She'd manage, and the others would surely stick around to help.

"Wonder how Marlene and Denzel are doing?" He murmured quietly.

A pang of sadness rose in his chest and he pushed it back annoyed.

A door slammed somewhere down the hall and it was followed by someone rushing quickly down the hallway. Another door opened and closed, and then several people went flying by. Cloud frowned and stuck his head out the doorway, only to have it just about taken off by a boy speeding past his room.

"Hey, save some for me!" He called as he sprinted around the corner.

Cloud stepped out of his room only to be slammed into from behind. He turned around to find a pretty red-head on the floor.

"Oh great, there won't be _anything_ left at this rate!" Jean cried as she raced down the halls to the mess room. She was running past the boys' dorms when she ran into something painfully solid and sat down hard on the floor.

She looked up to see what she'd run into only to be caught by a pair of ethereal, blue eyes. They belonged to the one of the most gorgeous men Jean had every seen. He had soft blonde hair done in a myriad of spikes. His face was caught in a contemplative frown. The silver wolf earring that dangled from his ear caught the light as he shifted and offered her a callused hand.

Jean smiled warmly and accepted the hand gratefully. The man pulled her up with surprising ease.

"Excuse me." He said in a resonant, almost melancholy voice.

"No, no, it was my fault." Jean said hurriedly as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"My name's Jean Grey. Are you new here?" She asked, motioning him to join her as she headed for the mess hall. He fell into step and nodded.

"Cloud Strife." He offered.

"Nice to meet you, Cloud. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?" Jean questioned, somewhat hesitantly.

"Do?" He replied, looking puzzled.

"Yeah, ya know, what's your power?"

Light dawned in his face and he shook his head.

"I'm not a mutant." He answered.

"Oh." She replied, wanting to ask another question but seeing the mess hall approaching.

Cloud glanced around with interest as they entered a lavish dining hall. What he assumed to be students sat around a large dining table with a glass chandelier overhead. The table was set with all kinds of food, which was being quickly devoured. He now realized why everyone had been in such a hurry.

Ororo stood up when she saw Cloud enter and clanged her spoon on her cup.

"Listen up, everybody!"

The noise died down quickly and Cloud found many pairs of eyes scrutinizing him.

"This is Cloud Strife. He'll be staying with us for a while. Please make him feel welcome." Ororo announced.

There was a riot of noise as everybody called a greeting and then went back to hurriedly gathering food from the remaining dishes. Cloud took a seat between Scott and Kurt and gave the food a once over. He opted for the chicken and also grabbed some rice as a bowl passed in front of his face.

For most of the meal, he concentrated on eating. He was feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the super-powered kids on sugar high. The one time he did glance up, he caught Jean's green eyes scrutinizing his face. When she saw him looking, she blushed and turned quickly away.

By the time Cloud was done eating, most of the kids had cleared out and only the ones with kitchen duty were left. He heard the telltale sound of a wheelchair and turned to find the Professor entering the room. As soon as he spotted the blonde man, Xavier spoke.

"Ah, Cloud, just the man I was looking for. The X-men are having a briefing in the council room, and I'd like it if you would attend."

Cloud nodded thoughtfully and followed the Professor.

Xavier led him down to the metallic lower levels, to a place near the infirmary. It was a huge, grey room with a rectangular table in the center and a state-of-the-art display screen.

All eyes riveted instantly to Cloud as he entered with the Professor. Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Evan, and another girl with brown, white-streaked hair sat around the table.

The Professor wheeled to the head of the table and motioned for Cloud to take a seat. As soon as he had, the Professor began.

"As most of you already know, this is Cloud Strife. He arrived here last night by… less than conventional means.

Cloud, these are the X-men. You've already met most of them, but I'll have them introduce themselves and what they do. Scott, you may begin."

"As you know, I'm Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops. I shoot optic blasts."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jean Grey. I'm telekinetic and telepathic."

"Kurt Wagner, or Nightcrawler, the fuzzy elf. I can teleport."

"My name's, like, Kitty Pryde. Or, like, you can call me Shadowcat. I phase through things. "

"I'm Evan Munroe. I shoot spikes from my body."

"Name's Rogue. Ah can take people's powers when Ah touch 'em."

"The young men and women are our primary defense against Magneto and the Brotherhood.

Now, the reason I called you all here was not just for introductions. What I have to say is confidential, and must not leave this room." The Professor began, spearing everyone with his eyes.

All the heads nodded.

"From what Cloud has told me about where he comes from, it is a safe bet to say that he doesn't come from our world. We have a vague idea of how he might've gotten here, but we're not sure how to send him back. Until then, he'll be staying with us.

Now, although they don't have mutants in Cloud's world, they do have people with mutant-like powers. Cloud is not a mutant, but perhaps he can explain more eloquently than I what he does."

The Professor mentioned for Cloud to take the floor. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Cloud stood up and turned a little from the eyes of the group.

"What I do? I'm an ex-soldier, an ex-mercenary, and an ex-member of a rebel group called AVALANCHE. I've fought all my life."

"So, yah're human?" Rogue cut in.

A pair of hauntingly, luminescent eyes cored into hers.

"…no."

Cloud turned his head way, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"Suffice to say that some who do not know any better would think Cloud is a mutant. That's why he'll be with us." The Professor took over.

"Now, it's getting quite late, and you all have school tomorrow. Meeting adjourned."

The kids filed out and the Professor watched the blonde man between bodies.

Yes, he was a fighter.

It was two in the morning, the moon was shining brightly, a soft breeze stirred at the trees, and Cloud Strife couldn't sleep if his life depended on it. He'd finally thrown on some of his new clothes and headed outside to see if a little fresh air would make him any sleepier.

The truth was, every time he drifted to sleep, he kept dreaming, dreaming of _her._ Here eyes, her smile, her laughter, the way she moved, how her hair rippled when she ran, the feel of her body pressed up against his as they rode into Midgar to fight Bahamut.

He kept thinking of how she smelled, leather and lavender, and how badly he wanted to kiss her and hold her in his arms. And then he'd think about the promise he made, and how if she was in trouble now he wouldn't be able to save her.

He groaned and mentally whacked himself. Since when had he gotten so sentimental?

The unmistakable sound of a motorcycle cut through the usual nighttime sounds, and Cloud lifted his head, trying to discern where it was coming from. It sounded like it was at the front gates of the mansion. He frowned, wondering why anybody would be arriving so early, and little warning bells went of in his head. He grabbed his sword from where he'd plunged it into the earth, suddenly glad his paranoia had coerced him into bringing it along.

Logan growled impatiently as he jammed the buttons on the mansion gate's electronic lock. Someone must've changed the password, cuz his sure as heck wasn't working. Well, looked like the only way was up, and with a kick to the spiteful gate, he shimmied up and over the wrought-iron entrance. He'd have to come back for his bike later.

As he landed, he picked up a strange smell he didn't recognize. It wasn't the professor or one of the kids. It could've been a new student, but it just smelled… off. The scent was getting stronger, and Logan was struck by the strangeness of it. It smelled… not entirely human, so sharp it hurt his nose. Like when you eat lemon, and the bite of the sour juices stuns you. And it was a multi-layered scent. Logan could pick out the normal human smell, buried under the sharp one, and a third scent, cold and clear and fresh. He wasn't too fond of its overpowering clarity.

Then he heard the tress rustle and a person detached himself from the shadows.

It was a man, by the build, probably in his early twenties. The first thing Logan noticed was his eyes. If the strange smell hadn't put him on guard, the man's eyes would have. They were too bright, too clear. Unwavering and unafraid. No human or mutant he'd seen had eyes like that.

Then the moon glinted off steel, and he saw the sword. It was ridiculously huge, almost as wide as the man and perhaps five feet tall, not counting the hilt. Several colored balls rested in slots near the hilt, and something about the way they shone bothered Logan. Not as much as the fact that if the man had brought the sword along, he could obviously wield it, and if he could wield it, he was no one to be trifled with.

The man was dressed normal enough, in a light jacket and jeans, but that was where the normalcy ended. He was perhaps Logan's opposite. His hair was blonde and stuck out in a million different directions, but it moved with the breeze, so it obviously wasn't gelled. His features were soft, unlike Logan's, and he was taller. Logan could see his muscles from under his clothes, but they weren't bodybuilder huge. He moved smoothly, and seemed relaxed, but he was in a fighter's stance, like he was expecting an attack.

Logan could feel the blue-green eyes scrutinizing him, he saw the man's eyes harden and his mouth tighten, and the muscles in his hand harden around the hilt of the monster sword.

And the sharp smell of his scent swallowed up the other two and strengthened with overwhelming, almost physical force. Logan's senses tingled from the raw power the man exuded and he felt, for the first time in a very long while, the beginnings of fear. His body was on high alert, and all his mind could focus on was how this man shouldn't be anywhere near the Professor and the kids. He had grudging respect for Scott, and saw great promise in Jean's abilities, but he had no doubt this man could slice through them like butter. And he caught the man's eyes, and felt the sheer force of his gaze, and that crystallized his decision. No one with this type of strange, surreal power could have anything on their minds but decimation.

_Snikt_

The familiar sting in his palms was a welcome feeling as six adamantium claws slid from under his skin. He muscles stretched taut and he lowered into his fighting stance. With the adrenaline rushing through his blood, Wolverine leapt towards the stranger.

It turned out that Cloud _had_ heard a motorcycle, and the rider was already over the front gates. For a minute Cloud thought it was Loz, but no, this man definitely wasn't him. Although he had roughly the same build, albeit quite a bit shorter, and a similar hairstyle, he wasn't clean cut like Loz and, from what Cloud could see, he didn't look like he had Loz's sense of humor or sentimentalism.

He had unruly black hair and sideburns, and his jaw was covered with a least a day's worth of stubble. He wore jeans, cowboy boots, and a leather jacket that looked like it'd had quite a trip.

Cloud could see the feral gleam in the man's eyes, like a wild animal, and his own eyes unconsciously narrowed. Cloud didn't want to be hasty, but he couldn't see any logical reason why a rough-looking man like that would be climbing over a gate into a schoolyard at two a.m. in the morning.

His knuckles tightened on his sword. He wasn't going to make the first move, but…

There was an audible _snikt_ and six wicked looking metal claws shot out of the man's knuckles. So, a mutant then. Masking his surprise, Cloud readied himself for the inevitable, waiting for the man to attack, waiting, waiting…

There.

Cloud's mako-inhanced senses warned him a split second before the clawed man shot towards him, metal weapons extended.

Logan had been counting on the weight and sheer size of the sword to slow the man down, but he had no such luck. His adversary whipped the sword around like it was a child's plaything and blocked Logan's swipes.

To his utmost astonishment, Logan felt resistance from the sword and leapt back to see that his adamantium claws hadn't left a single mark on it. Adamantium was the strongest metal known to man; he should have been able to cut through the sword easily.

The man's strange eyes watched him from overtop the unscathed metal of his sword, and Logan cursed his treacherous body for the involuntary shiver it gave. He rolled to the side this time, springing forward as soon as he had righted himself and brought his claws into a downward slash at the man's side. The sword was there this time too, seeming to have a life of its own as it moved effortlessly to block.

As he landed, he drew his left arm back and shot it forward, aiming for the man's head. The young man dodged smoothly to the right and brought his sword up to block Logan's right-handed swipe at his chest.

Undeterred, Logan unleashed a flurry of lightning fast slashes, every one met by the gigantic sword. But in this close of combat, the huge sword had limited maneuverability, and it was only the man's skill that kept the claws at arms-length. Logan had the upper hand at this proximity and he knew it.

But something bothered him. There had been several times when Logan had readied himself for a counterattack that never came. A man this skilled would obviously have seen those chances himself. The man was only playing defense, but why?

And then, before he had time to ponder that thought, Logan saw his opening and took it.

Charles Xavier woke with a start, sensing Logan's arrival and the ensuing battle. Feeling that the situation was getting out of hand, he woke the X-men. In three minutes, tops, they had all assembled in the foyer with Xavier, now in his wheelchair.

It was obvious that they had no idea what was going on, so the Professor took a few minutes of precious time to explain.

"Logan has come back, but I'm afraid it's not the happy occasion we were planning. He's fighting Cloud right now on the mansion front lawn.

I can't get through to either of them telepathically. I'm worried that Logan is slipping back into his berserker rage.

And Cloud… Well, to put it simply, every time I've to enter his mind or speak to him telepathically it has caused a great deal of pain to the both of us. I can't seem to get past his surface thoughts.

We're going to have to break this up the old-fashioned way, and as soon as possible. Otherwise, I have a bad feeling it could end in death."

Suddenly alert by the gravity of the situation, the pajama clad X-men nodded and followed quickly out the front doors.

They arrived just in time to witness a battle the likes of which they'd never seen before. Logan was in top form, fighting like his animal namesake. And Cloud moved so fluidly, his sword like and extension of his arm.

But it didn't last long.

With a particularly strong strike, Logan managed to catch Cloud off balance, his sword held awkwardly over his head in an attempt to keep hold of it. Before he could bring it back, Logan drove both sets of razor-sharp claws into Cloud's torso and ripped them out, the force of the blow sending the younger man flying back, where he promptly hit the ground in a bad way.

Blood was streaming down Cloud's side as he lay on the ground, breathing heavily and in pain. He started coughing violently, spitting out blood and saliva.

He was a dead man, everyone watching could see that.

"Logan!" The Professor called.

Logan was too far gone, caught in the grip of his rage.

Xavier heard Jean cry out in surprise, and he focused his attention on the dying Cloud. One of the balls set near the hilt of his sword began to glow, first faintly and then brighter, until it shone strongly. Streams of green trickled from the ball, up the hilt of the sword, and onto Cloud's wounds.

As the X-men watched, the wounds began to knit themselves back together. It was like watching Logan's healing factor. When they had fully closed, the ball dimmed and the light winked out.

Cloud's breathing strengthened, and pulled himself to his feet, good as new.

His other hand went to his sword, and as he pulled it away, part of the sword detached and came with. Giving it an experimental swing, he fell into stance, then raced forward, both swords hungry for a fight.

Logan, still in shock, barely blocked in time. The force of the blow sent shudders down his arm. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was worried.

The man spun in a circle, first one sword, then the other, glancing off Logan's hastily erected defenses. Without missing a beat, the swordsman planted both feet and lashed out both swords.

Logan leapt to the side, narrowly escaping. Then he too, attacked, using the same tactic as before. This time, however, the man had two smaller swords, on for each of Logan's sets of claws, and he blocked and parried perfectly.

Trapping both of Logan's hands in a block, the man swung his right sword sideways and would've taken off Logan's head if he hadn't ducked.

Claws free now, he droved them forward from his crouched position, aiming for the knees. The man leapt into the air and somersaulted, bringing both swords hurtling towards the ground. Dirt and debris caught in a shockwave of blue energy burst from the ground as the swords hit and slammed into Logan, sending him flying back. He hit the concrete fence with a crack.

Running towards him, the man slammed his two swords together again and brought them down with all his might into to Logan's waiting claws.

The sweat dripped down Logan's face as he forced his muscles to hold back the sword. He'd never, _never_ faced someone like this. Someone so… viciously strong. With the man on the offensive now, he himself could barely get an attack in edgewise.

Logan met the man's eyes and felt the power behind the sword begin to weaken. This was his chance; he had to through the sword off his claws now. He gathered the last reserves of strength in his muscles.

Cloud could feel his draining energy; he couldn't hold his sword like this much longer. The mutant was good, a very skilled fighter who'd obviously been in a lot of battles. Cloud felt his sword slipping, knew he was going to lose it.

_No!_

Mako and Jenova cells kicked into overdrive, flooding his veins like supped-up adrenaline. His strength returned, doubled, tripled, and he forced it all into the edge of the sword.

_Now!_ Logan thought, preparing to throw the sword off.

But then he saw it.

_His eyes!_

Green flooded his blue eyes and they began to glow more fiercely, more strongly, suddenly filled with burning determination.

The arms behind the sword found new strength and drove it forward.

Logan watched in horror as his adamantium claws began to bend, further and further. And then, the sword had pushed his claws down enough to be level with his heart. Suddenly it drove forward, spearing him with all its glory. He felt his chest part at least a foot as the metal slid into him and through the concrete on the other side.

Then the man stepped back, taking the sword with him, and Logan slumped forward.

**Cliffhanger! I'm sooo evil. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! Yeah. If you review, I might feel slightly less evil….**


	5. Mishap

Author Note: Hey everybody! I updated sooner this time. I now have a Beta Reader, Kez (she has an account here, but we can't find it ;)! So hopefully updates will be coming much faster. We've plotted out the majority of this story, so it's DEFINITELY not dead.

Anywho, there's a special bonus at the end of this chapter. It's the first in a line of OMAKE theaters written by Kez for your enjoyment. I can't write only humor for the life of me. Hope you enjoy it.

NOTE: In this chapter, Cloud uses materia. Just to let you know, we have the materia he has with him already mostly set, so we're not just throwing in random materia when we feel like it. I'm not going to reveal what they are though, you'll have to keep reading and see for yourself.

Beta Note: (B/N in the OMAKE Theater denotes Beta Note): Hi there!  I have never written a Fanfiction in my life. Since I am a decent Grammar Nazi, Hope asked if I could be a Beta Reader so I can catch those oh so silly mistakes that people make when they write. Heh….Scoot!

I'm actually horrible at humor. Don't flatter me like that, Hope!

Anyway, enjoy this installment!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cloud let out a sigh, deep and slow, waiting as Jenova and Mako cells fell back into relative dormancy. His muscles let go of their tension and relaxed.

_I thought I was done with all this._ He thought wryly.

Something about him attracted fights. He rarely chose his own. Looking down at the dead man, he felt two things. Relief and remorse. Relief that he'd beat a difficult opponent. Remorse, what he always felt after killing a human being. Except that one time… against _him_…

A student rushed past him, then another, then more. Rogue came from behind and knelt down next to the man, taking his head in her arms.

"Logan!" She shouted.

The other students crowded around, some kneeling like Rogue. Jean put two fingers to his neck grimly.

"He's dead." She announced forlornly.

Cloud stared quizzically down at the motley assembly. Hadn't this man just broken into to school grounds and attacked him? Could they fault the blonde swordsman for defending himself?

It was quite possible, from what Cloud had observed of their world, that they weren't used to war and violence related casualties. But no, Rogue had said the man's name. She sounded like she knew him. _Had_ known him. Perhaps Cloud had made a very big mistake.

Before he had time to elaborate more on that train of thought, the Professor wheeled up next to him.

"Don't berate yourself, you've done nothing wrong." He spoke softly. "Logan must have thought _you_ were the intruder. I felt him attack."

"He was relentless." Cloud murmured.

"I couldn't get through to him. He must have fallen into a berserker rage. I'm sorry it came to this."

Cloud nodded thoughtfully and gripped his sword tighter. The Professor noticed another colored ball begin to glow, and put a hand on Cloud's arm.

"Don't worry, he can heal himself."

"From the dead?" Cloud turned to look at Xavier.

"It won't be the first time."

Sure enough, the rugged man had begun to stir.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Logan opened his eyes to a head full of spiky hair and a pair of softly glowing blue eyes.

_Aww crap._ He thought.

But he stopped when he saw relief in the man's eyes, and a hand stretched to meet his own. He studied it, confused, but the Professor and the kids seemed comfortable around the man, so he accepted.

The man pulled him up with ease, which surprised Logan, although he'd seen plenty of that strength in the battle.

"Logan, this is the newest addition to our little group, Cloud Strife." The Professor informed him.

"So I see. Yer good, bub." He directed the last statement toward Cloud.

"Likewise." Cloud returned. Logan's nose told him that the sweet and sour smells had receded substantially, and the familiar human scent now stood out over them.

"Cloud, this is one of our part-time instructors, Logan. He handles combat and the Danger Room. As you can see, he's quite protective of us." Xavier commented.

"Students, it's quite. Let's get back to bed."

With much grumbling, the now wide awake young mutants padded back to their warm beds. The three adults held their places.

"Logan, Cloud isn't a mutant. The truth is, he comes from another world similar to our own, only without mutants. Their genetic experiments, however, have created soldiers that could be mistaken for mutants here, like Cloud. For this reason, we've offered him a place to stay until he finds a way to get back to his home." Elaborated Xavier.

"I've seen quite a few strange things, but you take the cake." Logan responded gruffly, eyeing Cloud.

The corners of Cloud's mouth turned up ever so slightly, and both men, having forged a strange bond through battle, felt a sort of grudging respect for one another.

"That said, I don't suppose you men want to finish tonight in bed?" Professor Xavier comment, his knowledgeable eyes twinkling.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was early the next morning, a Sunday, and Logan insisted on showing Cloud how to work the danger room, or the 'DR' as the students called it. The DR turned out to be a massive, relatively circular battle simulator with a control room visible through reinforced glass. It didn't look too menacing, but then, plenty of things didn't, like Tifa. And then they punched you in the gut.

Logan led him to the controls, a myriad of dials, switches, and buttons. He pointed to one particularly large dial with an electronic display above it.

"This here sets the level. Ya don't really need to know anything else unless yer makin' custom programs, which ya won't be. The beginner levels have a 'B' before the number, the intermediate have an 'I', and the expert have an 'E'. Then there's the levels designed fer me, with 'L' before them. Watch yerself, tho'. I ain't ever got past L4.

By the way, there's always gotta be somebody with ya, mannin' the controls. Chuck's orders. I'll start ya off on some o' the intermediate levels so ya can get a feel for how the programs work. We'll move up from there." Logan explained.

Cloud nodded thoughtful.

"One sec." He hesitated, then dumped a bag full of red, green, yellow, and blue balls onto the control counter.

Long fingers sorted expertly through the balls and began fitting select ones into slots in his sword, gauntlets, and armor. That done, he scooped the remaining spheres back into the back and set it on one of the extra chairs.

"Whatcha got there?" Logan asked.

"Materia. They come from the energy, called the Lifestream, that runs through my planet. When put in special slots in armor or weapons, the user gains select abilities." Explained Cloud, tightening the straps on his shoulder armor.

"Works fer me. Git down there and I'll fire this baby up." Logan shrugged at the machine.

Cloud hiked down to the entrance and into the room. The thick, metal doors closed smoothly behind him and the room whirred to life. Metal panels along the walls unfolded to reveal three turrets. Several spinning metal discs popped up through seams in the floor and raced towards.

Not sure if the discs were sharp or not, Cloud dodged to the right only to narrowly miss being hit by laser shots from the turrets. Dodging the blades and the guns to get a feel for the machinery, he realized that the guns could only fire every five seconds and they had to do it simultaneously. In their triangle formation, they could reach him anywhere in the room.

The discs had no homing devices, rather, they moved on three circular tracks, each one bigger than the next. He needed to take out the discs to have greater mobility. Deflecting a blast with his sword, he then swung it down through the first of the discs on the smallest circle. Using Haste, he leaped upwards, out of the way of the next round of fire and somersaulted, bringing his sword down on the nearest turret.

He landed with a thud and rolled out of the path of the incoming disc, catching it with his blade as it spun past. With a backwards flip, he evaded the remaining two turrets' fire and stabbed backwards into one as his feet hit the ground.

The last turret locked on to him, but he leapt away and the final disc was hit with the crossfire. Then it was a simple matter of closing the gap and slicing off the foremost part of the gun barrel.

"Bravo, Spiky. Let's up it a few levels." Came from a grinning Logan.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jean walked into the control room of the DR to find Logan watching the battle chamber with avid interest.

"Who's in there?" She questioned tentatively.

"Cloud." Logan responded, too absorbed to give a longer answer. Jean perked up considerable, joining the burly man in front of the glass.

"I thought Scott, Kitty, Kurt, Evan, and I had the DR this morning?"

"Yeah, ya did. Couldn't find ya to tell ya I was gonna let Spiky have a spin."

"Oh." She said, feeling breathless.

Her eyes followed Cloud as he maneuvered around the room. He moved so fluidly, the sword merely and extension of his arm. It struck the targets flawlessly, graceful and swift.

Jean's gaze was drawn to the blonde man's face. It was calm and rational, perfectly comfortable in the heat of battle. His eyes shone with that unearthly light, intensifying in tune with the battle. His lips were drawn in a thin line of concentration, his jaw slightly clenched. The shirt he wore left little to her imagination. She could see the well-developed muscles underneath.

The telekinetic blushed and looked down at her feet. She could see Logan glance at her quizzically out of the corner of her eye. The color in her cheeks deepened. She couldn't help it, she found Cloud so captivating. It wasn't the first time she found herself fantasizing about kissing him. Nor was it the first time she felt sorry she was with Duncan.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jean's head was down now, but Scott had seen the way she watched the expert swordsmen fight it out as the X-men leader entered the control room. There was more than a little interest in that gaze. How many times had he wished that she would look at him that way?

Thinking about it made him angry, but he couldn't stop himself. If only she knew how much he cared for her. Scott's mind, made irrational with anger, pushed away the voice that reminded him he'd never told Jean.

He was mad, mad at himself for never confessing to Jean, mad at Jean for finding Cloud so attractive, and mostly, unfair though it was, mad at Cloud for _being_ attractive, and a good fighter, and a hero, and…

His fist clenched as the machine signaled the end of the current level. Scott pressed the door button and marched down into the room. The energy behind his eyes burned furiously, continually building and giving him a headache.

Cloud turned to face Scott with a surprised look on his face. That fell away fast though. He wasn't blind. He'd seen the way Jean looked at him, the way Scott looked at Jean. There were very few things Scott could be angry with him about, and Cloud was positive that it was over Jean.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Meanwhile, Logan and Jean watched from above. Logan idly wondered if he shouldn't interfere, but he dismissed that thought quickly enough. Scott needed to learn how to solve his own problems, and solve the correctly. Logan would jump in if things got too messy.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As Scott glare at Cloud through the rubble of the room, a pang of fear ran through his system. The man's eyes were glowing a brilliant blue-green, brighter than they had when he'd fought Logan. Dirt and debris was still falling sporadically from the decimated machinery, and the results of several dozen battles that had ended badly for the DR were strewn about the room. Cloud's huge sword gleamed menacingly and a sliver of light rang along the edge as he settled it into the ground, one long-fingered hand still gripping it. The man looked like some god of war, surrounded by his enemies.

Scott's anger rammed through his fear and he spat on the ground, meeting Cloud's eyes.

"Stay away from Jean!" He warned hotly.

"You don't even belong here! You're just gonna break her heart!" He continued, his fury building.

Cloud eyed the raging youth neutrally, then spoke in cool, measured tones.

"You're mistaken. I don't feel for Jean like that."

"Oh yeah? Prove it!" Scott retorted, sounding almost pathetic.

"There's a woman I know where I come from. Tifa. I… love her." Cloud shocked himself when he blurted out the last part. He'd never been able to admit that to anyone, even himself. His features didn't hint at it, though.

Scott ground his teeth together, jaw clenching and unclenching. Then, on a split second decision, he tore off his sunglasses, letting loose a crimson optic blast.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The unrestrained power of Scott's blast filled the DR and blocked whatever had become of Cloud from the view of Jean and Logan. Jean let out a small cry, her hands jetting to her mouth. Logan swore under his breath. Two sets of worried eyes searched frantically for a familiar spiky-haired figure.

Then, a glint of light on metal, and Cloud came flying towards Scott, straight up the beam of red light. His gargantuan sword was held at a tilt, effectively deflecting the energy away from his body.

The wicked blade closed the distance in an instant, and before Scott could react, he was sent hurdling clear across the room by the flat side of the sword.

He hit the wall with a hollow bang and slumped forward. Cloud's gaze followed him, a mix of sympathy and disgust. He grabbed the sunglasses and slid them on the slim youth.

As he turned to walk away, Scott leapt at him. But instead of latching on as he'd planned, Scott's jaw met Cloud's fist, and he once again took a little trip backwards. This time he didn't get up, resorting instead to glaring at the man and rubbed his wounded jaw.

Cloud's eyes narrowed, but they held pity, not anger.

"You have a lot of potential." He began. "But you can't control your power _or_ your anger. Next time, open your eyes and see what's _really_ in front of you."

As he turned his back and headed toward the exit, Scott was the only one who heard his last words.

"I should know. I was the master of deceiving myself."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

OMAKE Theater #1: Part 1 "It Came From Beyond" (B/N: Hence the little ooooooos that divide the paragraphs!)

Jean Grey was walking down the hall the next morning, on a quest to grab something to eat. (B/N: Heh, what a great way to open this.) She was lost in thought, remembering the events that have happened the day before. The newcomer, Cloud Strife versus Scott Summers in the Danger Room, had ended in a total victory for Cloud.

"Cloud…" Jean thought dreamily.

She had been very attracted to him from the start, but after seeing him in action the day before, she was smitten.

"…I've always loved the fighting type…" She thought as she entered the breakfast hall. At the other side of the table, a well-built, blonde-haired youth was dining on a plate of eggs and SPAM (B/N: Hah. This is my story, and Cloud eats SPAM in it. I win.) "Cloud!" Jean shouted as she grabbed a plate of pancakes and sausage. (B/N: Which came out of nowhere.) She sat in the chair next to Cloud, and scooted until she was uncomfortably close to him.

"Well…" Jean said, blushing as she played with her hair. "…how are you?"

Cloud replied with a simple "…" as he put some eggs into his mouth.

Jean was starting to get impatient. She wanted to get down to the point.

"Do you like me? I like you! A lot! I hope that we could become friends! Maybe even closer!"

At this point, Cloud was having a hard time getting the eggs down his throat, so Jean took this opportunity to try to look into his mind. Unfortunately for her, his head is empty. As Cloud finally stopped choking, he turned to her and shouted

"WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME? I ALMOST DIED!" Jean hugged him tight, saying that she was sorry. Cloud groaned.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

On the other side of the Lifestream, Tifa woke up and sat up in bed. After all of their adventures in Midgar, Tifa had grown closer to Cloud. Sometimes she felt what he felt. And right now, she knew that Cloud just performed his "There is an annoying fangirl around my waist and I want to get away" groan. (A/N: This would be the groan he used if I ever met him.) Tifa rushed to get some clothes on. On Midgar, Cloud had been missing for a little over a day and she was quite worried about him. She rushed to the site where he was last seen and stared at this large mass of Lifestream goo. She didn't want to jump in. Nobody does. She jumped in anyway, because she loved Cloud that much.

A menacing shadow watched her as she jumped in and followed her into the depths of the unknown.


	6. Memory

Uh yeah… hi? is killed on the spot It's been a while. I don't know what to say, expect that I'm sorry for not updating sooner, and thank you to all you reviewers! I kid you not when I say that I am updating because of you.

On another note, Christmas break is coming up soon for me (woo! 3 ½ weeks of non-college related activities!) so that will hopefully mean another update soon. I _do_ actually have a lot of this story planned out, believe it or not.

On another other note, there will be no Cloud and Rogue romance in this story. This chapter seems to hint at it a bit, but it is meant as FRIENDSHIP, nothing more. I am a totally Cloud and Tifa supporter. (Perhaps she will show up, ne?)

On another other completely different note, sorry this chapter is short. I just wanted to get something posted, so you knew I wasn't dead.

Well, without further natterings from the authoress, enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cloud felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he watched the sunset from the mansion's roof. It was so similar to the sunset he remembered, the one on his own world. He didn't like that train of thought, as it brought up faces of those most important to him, and one in particular, who left a lonely ache in his arms.

He kept wondering, asking, why was he here? Was there a point, something for him to do? Or was it merely fluke?

"Why?" He murmured.

Something brushed lightly up against his cheek.

"_Cloud?"_

His breath caught in his throat. Tifa? His head whipped around. The girl from the meeting, the one with the white-stripe in her hair, stood on the roof where it leaned and almost touched the public balcony. Her face was full of surprise.

"Cloud?"

Apparently this spot already belonged to someone else.

"Hm?" He answered, disappointed.

"Um… do you mind if Ah join ya?" She asked hesitantly.

Her gaze met his, and he nodded, ever so softly. She settled down next to him and turned her eyes to the splash of colors that was the setting sun.

"Ah heard about what ya did ta Scott." She said finally.

Cloud turned his head and looked at her, not answering.

"Ah wanted ta say that Ah think ya did the right thing. Scott had no right ta say that ta you."

She turned away from his gaze, embarrassed.

"So…" Cloud broke in, after a moment. "I guess this is your spot. I'll go." He got up to rise but she stopped him, a gloved hand on his arm. Standing up also, she smiled at him.

"Nah, Ah just wanted ta tell ya that. Scott's really a good guy, just a little protective of Jean."

Cloud nodded again.

"Well, Ah'm goin' back in. Enjoy the view."

She turned to go, but her boot hit the lip of a shingle and threw her off balance. She wobbled for a heartbeat, trying desperately to regain her footing, then lost the battle with gravity and began to fall.

Acting out of instinct, Cloud leaned forward and his hand shot out and grabbed her arm. His skin hit hers and a jolt ran through his body. He lost his footing and the two fell over the edge of the three story roof, hurtling towards the ground.

With enough sense left in him, the blonde swordsmen pulled her over top him so as to cushion her fall. He's survived a fall from a height like this before. She might not.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rogue had seen her share of other peoples' memories, and she liked to think that she was getting good at distinguishing them from each other and reality. All memories had a certain dream-like quality, as very few people have a brain capable of playing back events like a TV set. They were also subtly different from her own in that she was more a spectator than a participant and could maintain some of her conscious thought if focused enough.

This particular scene, however, lacked those qualities, and Rogue had come to the conclusion that this was not, in fact, one of Cloud's memories, nor was it any memory, his or otherwise.

When she opened her eyes, or whatever it was that you did when you were in a dream-like scene, she was immediately very disoriented, the cause of which being two things. She was standing up, and she was standing up in nothing, if an infinite amount of space colored only white can indeed be designated as nothing.

However, as orientation returned to her, she discovered that she could in fact faintly distinguish between floor and ceiling, so it was really as if both ground and sky were white. Her spontaneous inspection of the new surroundings was quite suddenly interrupted by a low, feminine voice.

"An interesting trick you have, girl."

Spinning quickly around, she came face to face with the most exotic women she had ever seen. Beautiful in an alien way, possessed of lavender skin and golden eyes, straight, almost translucent tresses drawn up delicately around her head, this woman was simultaneously exquisite and repulsive, for there was a very sadistic gleam in her eyes, and a sordid tone to the half-smile on her full, purple lips.

The woman's slender hands, her nails perfectly manicured but long enough to be claws, fisted the gauzy, sleek material of the swathes of fabric that composed her dress. Rogue read anger in that white-knuckled hold, saw the cold, meticulous malice in the amber eyes.

"A trick that serves me well now, though it was not without its perils. Amusing to think that Cetra chit and I agreed upon something."

A hint of pearlescent fang showed against the woman's lips.

For her part, Rogue was too utterly confused and bewildered to even comprehend forming words.

"No doubt you wonder if your gift has deserted you. That is not so. The memories you are not seeing would have killed you. Your body is experiencing a phantom poisoning effect as we speak, courtesy of my son's subconscious memories.

Enough of that, then." The woman waved a hand as if dispensing the particular thread of conversation.

"You will tell my son this. It will go easier for him if he does not resist. I am not to be dissuaded. I will have what I want in the end. Tell him—"

"Ah, Jenova, ever the dictator."

A man's amused voice interrupted the regal woman and both her and Rogue turned to see a man with spiky black hair wearing a soldier's garb and striding towards them.

The woman's voice seethed with anger as she replied.

"So, the Cetra's faithful lap dog, come to take away the prize. Very well then, you may have her. I am finished here."

Rogue turned to see the man was within a few feet away from her now. He smiled and reached out a hand.

"Here, take my hand. I'll find you some more pleasant company."

The man's easy manner and friendly voice compelled Rogue, and no sooner had she touched his hand then she found herself in a new setting, similar to the previous, only the ground was a field of appealing yellow flowers.

It was a definite improvement, and as Rogue looked around she discovered they were not alone. A pretty brunette in a pink dress stood close by, an air of expectancy about her. When she saw them, she smiled warmly.

"So, here is what we have been waiting for."

Rogue was startled to find that there was another person with them, as the brunette had implied. It was a tall, silver-haired man, one of the most striking men Rogue had ever laid eyes on. Decked in fine black leather and silver armor, he cut an imposing figure. His molten hair cascaded down the back of his coat, reaching to his waist. Luminescent green eyes, set within definite, masculine features, regarded her serenely.

The young woman approached and took Rogue's hands in hers eagerly.

"Well then, we mustn't waste time. We shall have to send you back soon. But before we do, we need you to deliver a message to Cloud. Tell him that he can do it. We're pulling for him."

The black-haired man who had taken her there stepped closer.

"Tell him we're sending help." He added jovially.

Then it was the silver-haired man's turn. He spoke with a quite, sure intensity, his voice tinged with many emotions.

"Tell him he is much stronger than I ever was."

The scene was beginning to fade, and Rogue felt herself being slowly but surely tugged away. The man stepped closer to her; his words were the last thing she knew of that realm.

"And tell him… tell him I am sorry."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first time in a very long time, Cloud's dreams held only blackness.

However, it wasn't until later that he would be able to ponder that. Awakening with a sudden jolt, he bolted upright—or tried to.

He was expecting to be lying in a nice Cloud-shaped indention on the mansion's front lawn. He _wasn't_ expecting to be lying on a hospital cot, two feet in the air. This—and the after affects of touching Rogue—perhaps explained the rather comical and noisy scene that ensued.

The sudden motion overbalanced the wheeled cot and promptly sent a confused and dismayed blonde swordsman over the side. The clatter of the cot and the nasty smack of cranium against sterile white tile was enough to catch the attention of the other occupants of the infirmary.

Jean was the first to reach Cloud's side, and was quite frankly surprised to see the tiles were not splashed with blood.

"Are you okay?" She cried, alarmed.

Cloud sat up, rubbing the back of his head, and Jean backed up to give him some space. His couldn't seem to decide between a grimace of pain and a look of wry amusement.

"Yeah. Hard head."

Waving off a pro-offered hand, he stood up slowly, his blue eyes clearing. The first thing he noticed was Rogue, lying on a cot identical to the one he had just tangled with, a few feet away. The Professor and Hank watched him from her side.

"Is she alright?" He asked, ignoring Jean and stepping closer.

"I thought that maybe if I cushioned her fall…" Cloud trailed off, not really wanting to hear if another person had come to harm because of him.

"A brave deed it was." Xavier spoke quietly, his eyes meeting the young man's.

That was obviously not what Cloud wanted to hear.

"And successfully, I might add." He continued, seeing the relief flit across Cloud's face.

"If you hadn't broken her fall, I'm sure she would have died. You were a long way up. As it is, she has only sprained her wrist. But that does not seem to be the problem here.

Tell me… did you touch her skin?"

Cloud shuddered, remembering the feeling.

"Yes, before we fell, her wrist." Cloud answered warily, suddenly realizing where the Professor was going.

"Does she usually faint afterwards?" He asked.

"No," replied the Professor, "that's why I'm worried. And she's not just unconscious."

Taking his cue, Dr. McCoy began to speak.

"Rogue has some other symptoms as well. Rapid, erratic heart beat; dilated pupils; weak pulse; increased rate of breathing; convulsions… All signs of some time of poisoning."

There was a very sinking feeling in the pit of Cloud's stomach. He approached Rogue's bedside, noting the sheen of sweat on her pallid face. He reached out a hand, slowly, fingers splayed, hesitating…

_Oh God, don't let it be what I think it is!_

All it took was one brush of his fingers against her bare skin, and he knew. The nausea, the searing pain, sickness in the veins…

"Mako…" He whispered with dread.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Professor Xavier and Dr. McCoy saw the look of fear and recognition on Cloud's face as he approached, the revulsion as his fingertips inched closer. But most of all, they saw his blue-green eyes flash intensely as he made contact with Rogue.

Almost instantly, the young man, drew away, suddenly breathing heavier. When he met their gazes, there was old pain in his eyes.

"Mako?" Hank asked. "Isn't that one of the substances you were injected with?"

Cloud nodded, his features now hardened with anger and guilt as he gazed at Rogue.

"Yes. But she couldn't have Mako poisoning just from touching me."

"Poisoning?" McCoy repeated, somewhat alarmed.

Cloud looked up at them again as he explained.

"Everyone rejects Mako at first. Some more than others. We call it 'Mako poisoning.' It can be lethal, if too much Mako is introduced into the system, or if the system is not capable of accepting it."

"So that is what is happening to Rogue?" The Professor questioned, attempting to clarify.

"No… I don't think so. Like I said, she couldn't be poisoned from just touching someone with Mako. I think… I think that the memories she must have from me—the ones I have of Mako poisoning—must have tricked her body into thinking _she_ is the one poisoned. 'Phantom poisoning,' sort of."

"So, not lethal." Jean added, joining the conversation.

"Well, if it _is_ from my memories, and _I_ obviously didn't die, than no, not lethal."

There was a large and overdue collective exhaling sigh of relief from the room's occupants—followed very quickly by an inhaling of all previously expounded air as Rogue suddenly sat bolt upright.

Her eyes swiftly locked onto Cloud's. He could see she was remarkably clear-headed, for having gone through what she had.

"Your mother…" She whispered fiercely, urgently.

"My mother?" Cloud asked, puzzled.

"She said, 'Don't resist! It will go easier!'"

Those words, six of them, simple and compact, shattered everything Cloud had previously been thinking.

_Not mother, no._ His mind raced, furious, raging.

_JENOVA! _

Review?????


End file.
